that these regiments have performed has caused their clothing accounts to be very large, and if deducted form the pay of these four months will leave but a small balance due.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

A. SCHIMMELFENNIG,

Brigadier-General, Commanding District.

HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Folly Island, S. C., July 20, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM GURNEY,
Commanding Post, Morris Island:

COLONEL: The general commanding directs that as soon as the rebel iron-houses are completed that you increase the strength of the outposts on your front, and keep a strong guard in all the forts during the night. Also, that during the night you have the boat infantry establish a new boat station near the repaired bridge in front of Fort Haskell.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. B. DEAN,

Lieutenant, 127th New York Volunteers, A. A. A. G.

Major-General FOSTER,

Commanding Department of the South:

GENERAL: Information reached me yesterday, from a source apparently reliable (a Mr. Whitely, refugee from Macon, Ga.), that 900 cavalry were withdrawn from Florida on occasion of your recent advance near Charleston. Mr. W. saw them himself at Quitman on their way to Charleston.

Early last week I sent a party around Doctor's Lake, and a few miles west of it, which found no enemy except a few vedettes. In my recent advance up Trout Creek the whole number of the enemy did not exceed 75. These facts, with their great quiet in front of Jacksonville, led me to change my opinion in regard to their force at Baldwin and Camp Milton. The people of Nassau County speak confidently of three battalions or regiments at these two places, but I must think their number is small. I shall therefore act promptly on the permission so kindly accorded me in your favor of the 15th ultimo, and make a decided move on the trestle-work in rear of Baldwin. With the troops now here I feel that I ought to be able to do this. My plan is to land above the mouth of Black Creek, and march via Middleburg, by the Clay Hill road, to the Alachua trail. At the crossing of the trail and Fernandina railroad, to destroy the latter before 10 a. m., so as to prevent the two locomotives from Gainesville with the trains form passing up to Baldwin. Then dashing on with cavalry and one rifled gun, I propose to strike the Lake City railroad, at the point where the Alachua trail crosses it, near Barber's, and as nearly as possible about 11.30 a. m., the time of arrival of the Lake City train at Baldwin. The trestle-work near Barber's, 12 miles from Baldwin, is 250 yards and 30 feet high;